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Entrée to Judaism

Posted on Friday, October 02, 2009

Award-winning cooking instructor comes to HWS to serve up the many flavors of Jewish life around the world

On Wednesday, Oct. 14, author, food columnist, chef and award-winning cooking instructor Tina Wasserman brings her expertise to the Hobart and William Smith Colleges campus for a talk titled "A Culinary Exploration of the History and Lore of Jewish Cooking in the Diaspora."

Specializing in contemporary kosher cuisine and trained in nutrition and education, Wasserman holds degrees from Syracuse University and New York University and is a popular food educator in her own cooking school and as a scholar-in-residence in communities across North America. In 1994, she was elected to Les Dames d'Escoffier, an international culinary society that honors women in the food and beverage industry. She is one of only four Dames in the country honored as an expert in Jewish cooking and culinary history. She has been the food columnist for Reform Judaism magazine since 2003. Her writing has been featured in newspapers and magazines throughout the country, and she has appeared on live radio and television and featured on Good Morning America. She currently lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband, HWS Trustee Dr. Richard L. Wasserman '70, and is the proud mother of two grown children.

Wasserman is also the author of, "Entrée to Judaism: A Culinary Exploration of the Jewish Diaspora," copies of which will be available for sale and signing at the talk, as well as a tasting from the cookbook.

According to the publisher's notes on the book, "What we eat says so much about who we are and from where we come. Do you like your matzah brie sweet or savory? Is your chicken soup matzah ball or mulligatawny? Does your menu feature a cheese torta or a tofu salad? Wherever Jews have settled, they have adapted local tastes and ingredients to meet the needs of Shabbat and kashrut, creating a rich and diverse menu of flavors and styles, all still Jewish. In Entrée to Judaism, Tina Wasserman leads a culinary journey around the world and across the ages, from Spain to India, from Russia to Tunisia, sharing the histories and recipes of the great Diaspora communities and the many wonderful ways they have told their stories through food."

Wasserman's talk-sponsored by the Abbe Center for Jewish Life, Hillel, Religious Studies and Religious Life-will begin at 4:30 p.m. in Demarest Hall, room 14. It is free and open to the public. All are encouraged to attend.